Summer is swiftly approaching, with the promise of sunlight and opportunities for new adventures and, hopefully, some rest and relaxation. Here's a previously unpublished poem I wrote last season, after my children and I went on an impromptu day beside the sea.
Beach Day
Our toes sink in the sand,
cool wet ripples washing over them,
spraying our faces with salt water in green-blue waves.
My daughter rushes into them, face lit with smiles
as she plunges in for a swim — fearless, exhilarated.
My son digs into the warmth of the sand for shells,
"Mama, come play!" he shouts to me, building a moat
for our feet to dangle in, joyfully stamping upon it,
the thrill of its creation and destruction equally delightful.
"Mama, look!" my daughter emerges from the waves, carrying a perfectly rounded shell
with a tiny hole in its center. "For a necklace," she says, sharing her treasure.
My son lays down beside me, sun beaming bright and hot upon us.
"Mama, bury me!" he cries, scooping great heaps of sand onto his legs.
We laugh as I cover him from toes to shoulders in soft, silky grains
while his sister leaps and dives in the froth just beyond,
vibrant orange and yellow blossoms dancing in the June wind,
euphoric in the gentle ease of a day spent on the beach
in the sunlight of summer.
Copyright @ Stacie Eirich, June 1 2022
At the library, we're kicking off Oceans of Possibilities, a summer reading program for all ages. Dive in and make some waves at your local library through taking part in reading challenges, games, crafts and special events - it's going to be fin-tastic! 🐟🐳🦈🐬🦞🦀
For those following my monthly book reviews, here's my video review for our library's June book club pick - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. If you are a fan of old Hollywood and enjoy juicy drama and a larger-than-life character, Evelyn may be your next good read.
Last, here's a joyful song to send you into summertime! Recorded in summer 2021, this is the Stay at Home Choir's Global Ode to Joy in Vienna, the last movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony, with a new German text accompanied by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Thank you for visiting my monthly blog; it's readers and listeners like you who fuel my artistic inspirations. Have a jubilant June, and stop by again in July to see how summer is sailing along. In Verses & Song -Stacie ✍🎵🌼